Any band that uses synth is influenced by something from the 80's. There's been a revival of the instrument over the past few years and one of the bands at the forefront of that is Ireland's Two Door Cinema Club. Following up their critically acclaimed Tourist History, the band teamed up with Jacknife Lee to make their new album, Beacon. By teaming up with Lee, the band was hoping to take the next step in their musical evolution. No matter how many times you listen to it, you can hear that they accomplished that.

Beacon is interesting for a number of reasons. First and foremost is that it's ambitious. It's like this feisty rollup of Imagine Dragons, Death Cab for Cutie, Naked + Famous, and Neon Trees. They aren't necessarily influences on the album but the album has similar attributes to all that make a fantastic listen. Among them are Imagine Dragons intricate percussion, Death Cab for Cutie's pension for ambience, Naked + Famous' synth style, and NeonTrees' pop sensibilities. The music is wonderful but it’s the attention to detail that stands out behind Alex Trimble's smooth voice. There are so many complex sounds and surprises scattered throughout the album that every time you go through the album, you'll hear something different. At the very least something different will grab your attention each time through.

Jacknife Lee and Two Door teamed up to position the band in a big way with Beacon. Imagine Dragons is getting a lot of attention behind them right now, and for good reason- Dan Reynolds and co. made a great album. However, this album from Two Door Cinema Club is every bit as enjoyable. There's a lot of great music on this album. Tourist History is good, but Beacon is far better.